Apple Computer Inc., looking to revitalize
sales after posting a net loss of more than $245 million in the
previous quarter, introduced on Thursday juiced-up new models of
its iMac and PowerMac G4 Cube desktops.
The brightly-colored new products, shown at the MacWorld Expo in
Tokyo, come equipped ready to read and write compact discs and
feature Apple's latest music software, iTunes, which allows users
to copy, or burn, MP3-format songs onto CDs.
All three new iMac models, ranging in price from $899 to $1,499,
will feature iTunes. The two higher-end ones models — the 500
megahertz and 600 megahertz versions — will include the CD-burning
drives and come in two new color patterns called Flower Power and
Blue Dalmation.
The new Power Mac G4 Cubes will also come pre-installed with
rewritable CD drives and iTunes software and sell for $1,599.
"We're trying to offer the right products at the right price,"
said Greg Joswiak, Apple's director of mobile products.
The new products, available immediately, complement what the
Cupertino-based computer maker believes is an evolving digital
lifestyle centered around the desktop computer.
The updated lineup is part of the struggling company's plan to
return to profitability in the current quarter. Apple lost market
share to competitors last year, partly because it had not included
drives that read and write CDs in its computers. Apple posted a net
loss of $247 million, or 73 cents a share, in the first fiscal
quarter ending Dec. 30 — the first loss since chief executive and
co-founder Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997.
Apple's resurgence with Jobs' return coincided with the
introduction and success of the iMac line. The hope is that the
latest iMac models will reinvigorate sales.
